U.S. Pledges $45 Million Aid Package to Thailand and Cambodia Following Border Conflict

The United States announced Friday it will provide $45 million in aid to Thailand and Cambodia, aimed at stabilizing their shared border region following clashes that ended last year. The announcement was made in Bangkok by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Michael DeSombre during meetings with Thai officials.

“The restoration of peace at the Thai-Cambodian border opens new opportunities for the United States to deepen our work with both countries to promote regional stability and advance our interests in a safer, stronger and more prosperous Indo-Pacific,” DeSombre said.

The aid package includes $15 million for border stabilization to support recovery efforts and assist displaced persons, $10 million for demining and unexploded ordnance clearance, and $20 million to combat scam operations and drug trafficking. DeSombre indicated that specific details of the aid packages remain under discussion.

The U.S. diplomat is scheduled to meet with Cambodian officials in Phnom Penh on Saturday to further discuss implementation of the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord, signed last October to end the border conflict.

The fighting, which erupted in July and December last year, stemmed from longstanding territorial disputes along the Thai-Cambodian border. The conflict resulted in approximately 100 military and civilian casualties and displaced hundreds of thousands of people from both countries.

Land mines pose a significant ongoing threat in the region. Cambodia still deals with mines left from decades of civil war, while Thailand has reported about a dozen incidents of its soldiers being wounded by newly laid mines during border patrols last year.

China has also extended aid to the region, providing approximately $2.8 million in emergency humanitarian assistance to displaced Cambodians. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Beijing had made a similar offer to Thailand, which his government is still considering.

The U.S. aid announcement comes amid ongoing competition between Washington and Beijing for influence in Southeast Asia. Cambodia has developed close ties with China, while Thailand’s traditionally strong relationship with the United States has reportedly weakened in recent years.

The conflict initially broke out in late July, with five days of fighting before a preliminary ceasefire was agreed upon. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim attempted to broker peace, but significant progress only came after U.S. President Donald Trump personally intervened. Trump reportedly warned both countries that Washington would not proceed with trade agreements if hostilities continued.

The ceasefire was formalized in October during a regional meeting in Malaysia attended by Trump. However, renewed fighting in early December led to defense ministers from both countries signing a new pact on December 27, reinforcing their commitment to the October agreement.

The U.S. assistance comes at a critical time, as American aid to Southeast Asia and other regions was significantly reduced last year following the closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Trump administration.

The aid will also target transnational crime problems, particularly online scams originating from Cambodia and Myanmar, which have defrauded victims worldwide of billions of dollars.

“We are very focused on pursuing peace in and around the world,” DeSombre told journalists. “President Trump is a president of peace, and really believes that peace is critical to economic growth and prosperity.”